Shadow

The morning sun filters through the trees surrounding my campsite waking me from my rather uneasy sleep. Sitting up on my tattered bed roll I pick a few leaves out of my fur that had fallen on me during the night. I try to remove some burrs that have managed to embed themselves in my tail but quickly give it up as a lost battle unless I want to sacrifice several hairs.

I let out a sleepy sigh and look at the smoking embers nearby, all that remains of the fire I built the night before. Stretching I stand up and begin to pack up camp. It doesn’t take me long. In a few minutes all that I have in the world is packed into a single tattered pack that has clearly seen much better days. Once everything is secured I kick some dirt on the embers making sure it is smothered before I head out.

Throwing my pack over my shoulder I set off in search of my quarry. For three days now I have been in pursuit of a shadow creature that I summoned but lost control of. At first it was working well for me, helping me hunt for food and keeping me company. But once we entered this valley it took off as though hunting something and so far it has eluded me.

At first I thought that my father might have somehow gained control of it and was using it to find me. But that is very unlikely since he should think I’m dead. I don’t know what that fortune teller told him but after that he grew even more distant and violent towards me than before. Not that we had what I would call a healthy relationship to begin with. Add that to his finding out about my secret and I was not surprised when he gave the order for my death. I’m just lucky that the wolf he sent to kill me while on the hunt for that bear was a more attractive target for said bear than I was.

With my would be assassin dead I took the opportunity to escape hoping that everyone would assume that I had met the same fate. That was over six weeks ago and I see no reason to stop running any time soon. But right now I really need to find and stop the creature that I summoned before it hurts someone, or worse.

I continue along the trail I have been following for the last few days hoping to catch up to the summoning soon. The creature is not hard to follow, its size making it near impossible for it to hide its trail. But what it lacks in stealth it more than makes up for in speed and cunning.

Its path has gone all over the place, crossing streams, through thick brush, even doubling back on itself for long stretches. This more than anything has allowed it to go so long without me catching up to it.  I follow the path through a group of small trees and come out into a clearing set on a small hill. Reaching the peak of it I can see over the trees around me and out into the valley floor.

My eyes scan the trail I’m following for a distance and see that it leads straight towards a small village nestled in the center of the valley. My shoulders sag as I realize that my failed summoning is headed straight for an inhabited area. I pick up my pace and follow the trail as quickly as I can. I only hope to catch it before it harms anybody.

For nearly an hour I follow the trail as it grows closer and closer to the village. As I get to the edge of the village I slip into the shadows of the trees and sniff the air trying to get my bearings. A wide variety of foods, a blacksmiths forge, flowers, and the scent of many humans all mixed together.

I let out a sigh and dart from the trees into a nearby alleyway doing my best to keep out of sight. Dodging from shadow to shadow I keep my senses on alert for the creature, but nothing yet.

Ducking behind a dumpster I catch sight of movement in the ally across the street. It’s the creature. I watch it as it sits motionless in the darkness as though waiting for something or someone. Looking around I don’t see anything that should have made my summoning go on this hunt.

To the left is a bakery with the warm scent of fresh bread cooling in the afternoon air drifting from an open window. To the right is what looks like a magic trick shop. There are few people inside looking at the wares. I am about to look away when a man at the counter catches my eye.

He is between six and a half and seven feet tall with brown hair. He is examining a small object. I can’t tell what it is from this distance but it must have been expensive because the guy dropped a large pile of gold coins on the counter before pocketing the item. Shortly after putting away the item he steps up to a young woman who is looking at a book. He says something that makes her jump before she hurries off to buy it.

I glance back to where the creature is to see that it is still there not moving, waiting for something. I look back at the store and the man from before is standing at the entrance talking to the girl when he looks up in my direction with a curious look on his face. As I look into his face I feel like I am looking at something both wondrous and terrible at the same time.

I sink deeper into the shadows as the girl gets his attention and they move off down the street. Looking back towards the creature I see that it has moved off in pursuit of the pair while sticking to the shadows to avoid being seen.  I quickly follow suit doing my best to avoid detection as well.

Moving from shadow to shadow the creature and I follow the pair through town heading for the outskirts. I reach towards the top of my left arm and grip the hilt of a knife that only becomes visible when I pull it from it sheath. The blade is a gift from my grandfather on my mother’s side of the family.

Slowly I gain ground on the creature getting closer and closer. Hopefully I can end this and move on from this place and no one will be any the wiser. As I get closer to the creature than I have in days I  hear something that sends a chill down my spine.

From within the creature a dark hissing voice echoes, “Found master’s enemy… Master wants him dead…. Master knows where enemy is now… I kill master’s enemy!”

I freeze mid step. I have no enemies, not here at least. So what is it talking about? Is this why it is no longer under my control? Has someone else taken control of it?

The humans from before step into a clearing ahead of us. The female says something that makes the male nod. She darts into the brush and a few moments later a black wolf with blue highlights on her head steps out stretching. She says something I can’t hear then the male begins to grow and change.

In no time at all he has grown to around nine feet tall and is covered in a thick golden brown fur. I stand there transfixed. There was no hint of there being werewolves around in the village. How did I miss their scent before?

The two wolves move off along their path for a minute before the male comes to a stop and shoves the female out of the way just as the summoning launches a lightning attack at the pair. How stupid of me! I let my attention wander and lost my chance to stop it.

I blink my eyes and in that instant the male managed to make a gold trident appear in his hand from nowhere. A second bolt of lightning shoots at the male. In a burst of speed I would not have thought possible he not only blocks but also redirects the attack.

I can’t help but be impressed at his skill. He yells at the girl to run as he prepares for the next attack. As the creature steps out of the shadows and moves towards the pair. I hear the male shout something just before the creature burst into a cloud of smoke and fire.

I blink in confusion as I look from where the creature was towards the pair of wolves. The male is in an attack position with a look of confusion on his face while the female is standing behind with her paw outstretched and smoking from the fire spell she just used. He turns just in time to see her start falling to the ground. He manages to catch her before she gets hurt from falling.

I step closer to them as I return my knife to its sheath where it vanishes and hear him say, “You stupid pup, how many times have I told you you’re not ready for that level of magic.”

Clearing my throat I speak up for the first time, “I don’t know, I would say she did rather well.”

When the male looks up at me my eyes lock with his deep amber ones and only one thought manages to find root in my head. Good God is he hot or what!